Mark Martin has finished second in the points four times in his career. Credit: Autostock

Martin can relax heading into Richmond

Roush Racing driver says he will probably run in 2006

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Mark Martin is having some fun this week at Richmond International Raceway.

The longtime NASCAR star's idea of fun is racing as much as possible. That's why he was smiling a lot as he prepared to compete in Thursday's night's International Race of Champions event, Friday night's Busch Series race and Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Nextel Cup fixture.

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Unlike last year, Martin was able to relax heading into the busy weekend. He has already clinched a spot in the Chase for the Cup, a 10-race championship battle that will begin next week in New Hampshire.

Last year, he came to Richmond 10th in the points and needing a big race to earn a place in the inaugural Chase. A fifth-place finish was more than enough to get him into the show, moving Martin up to eighth in the standings.

"Our goal was to clinch our spot in the Chase and we've done that," said Martin, the only Cup driver to join the open-wheel entries in Thursday afternoon's IROC practice. "We can kind of go for it all at Richmond and then it's on to the next goal: the Nextel Cup Championship."

Martin, who had planned to retire from his Cup ride at the end of 2005, won the IROC race, then the four-time Cup runner-up said he probably would stay on for another year in the Roush Racing No. 6 Ford, filling in until Jamie McMurray takes over the ride in 2007.

"It really looks like I'm going to be in the 6 car next year," Martin said. "It's looking more and more like that all the time."

The 46-year-old Martin said he had planned to spend next season driving a handful of Busch Series races, as well as racing for his own new team in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series. But things got complicated recently when Roush signed Jamie McMurray away from Chip Ganassi Racing.

McMurray signed for 2007, with the hope that he or Roush could convince Ganassi not to pick up his option for 2006. Ganassi has refused to let McMurray go next season, though, apparently leaving Roush a driver short.

Instead of trying to find an interim driver, Roush has begged Martin, who came to the Cup series with Roush in 1988, to help him out and stay on for one more year.

McMurray hasn't piled up many bonus points in 2005

Jamie McMurray heads into Saturday's race barely holding onto 10th in the Nextel Cup standings, one point head of Ryan Newman and 30 in front of Jeff Gordon for the final spot in the Chase.

Amazingly, McMurray remains in contention despite totaling only five bonus points -- far fewer than any other driver in the top 10.

Cup drivers earn five bonus points for leading at least one lap during a race and another five points for leading the most. McMurray's No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge has led just one lap in 25 races this season.

Third-place Rusty Wallace and eighth-place Carl Edwards have 35 bonus points apiece. Newman has 65, Gordon 60 and 13th-place Elliott Sadler, 42 points behind McMurray, has accumulated 40.